This post was submitted by Jordanne Muldner.

This post was submitted by Jordanne Muldner.

Located at the heart of downtown Sparks, Great Basin Brewery has been serving our community with award- winning beers for over 15 years. It has become a staple for great beer, food, and music in Reno/Sparks. If you’re not familiar with the beers offered here, they have just about any flavor of delicious microbrews you can imagine. They’re known for their Bitchin’ Berry, a crisp and tasty raspberry beer, their popular “Ichthyosaur” (the Nevada State Fossil) India Pale Ale, and their Chilibeso, a pilsner beer with a kiss of Jalapeno and three times gold medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival. At anytime of the year, they have four flagship beers and four to six seasonal brew-master specials. So, you are sure to find a beer that will hit the spot whatever your mood.

Now, they are proudly announcing the opening of a second location south of town in Reno. Next to Borders bookstore, where the old On the Border used to be, this will be a larger brewery than the current one in Sparks, plus they will bottle the beers there so you can take a six-pack home. In addition to all their usual beer and food menu, they will be adding a pizza oven at this new location for that special craving. A private dining area will be available for parties and special events. The new venue is set to open in Spring 2010, so keep your eyes and ears open for the grand opening party. For more information about the beers at Great Basin Brewery, visit their website www.greatbasinbrewingco.com or email them at info@greatbasinbrewingco.com.

Text by Baldo Bobadilla
Photos by Arturo Torres

Located at the heart of downtown Sparks, Great Basin Brewery has been serving our community with award-winning beers for over 15 years. It has become a staple for great beer, food, and music in Reno/Sparks.
If you’re not familiar with the beers offered here, they have just about any flavor of delicious microbrews you can imagine. They’re known for their Bitchin’ Berry, a crisp and tasty raspberry beer, their popular “Ichthyosaur” (the Nevada State Fossil) India Pale Ale, and their Chilibeso, a pilsner beer with a kiss of Jalapeno and three times gold medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival. At anytime of the year, they have four flagship beers and four to six seasonal brew-master specials. So, you are sure to find a beer that will hit the spot whatever your mood.

Now, they are proudly announcing the opening of a second location south of town in Reno. Next to Borders bookstore, where the old On the Border used to be, this will be a larger brewery than the current one in Sparks, plus they will bottle the beers there so you can take a six-pack home. In addition to all their usual beer and food menu, they will be adding a pizza oven at this new location for that special craving. A private dining area will be available for parties and special events. The new venue is set to open in Spring 2010, so keep your eyes and ears open for the grand opening party. For more information about the beers at Great Basin Brewery, visit their website www.greatbasinbrewingco.com or email them at info@greatbasinbrewingco.com.

Text by Baldo Bobadilla
Photos by Arturo Torres

If you’re a vampire, then you sure hope so. For far too long, Valentine’s Day has been one of the most miserable holidays on the calendar, but last year, that started to change. This year, it’s going to be even better. On Saturday, February 13, downtown Reno will become host to the second annual Valentine’s Vampire Crawl, with thousands of costumed bar crawlers throwing on their fangs and sinking their teeth into a night of drink specials and great times.

According to event organizer Ed Adkins, who also runs the Reno Zombie Crawl, the vampire crawl was developed as a way to take a holiday that no one really likes and make it fun.

“Every year, I hear people complaining that Valentine’s Day is their least favorite holiday because of all the pressure to make it special, the focus on cutesy hearts, and the general feeling of missed expectations,” says Adkins. “So I figured, let’s take it back.”

As a result, the Vampire Crawl was born, and everyone celebrates the edgier side of romance.

“No one finds candy hearts and frilly cards sexy, but everyone wants a vampire,” says Adkins.

Starting at 8pm on the Feb 13, crawlers are instructed to begin at Amendment 21 to purchase their crawl cup and map. They then can move on to any of the 20 bars that will be participating. On the crawl, participants will enjoy $2 and $3 specials on a variety of drinks, including various beers, Barefoot Wine, New Amsterdam Gin, and others.

Aside from just having fun, Adkins says that a portion of the proceeds from the crawl will be donated to the American Heart Association.

“Since February is Heart Month, we decided that the AHA was a perfect charity to work with on the crawl. Also, it turns out there are no organizations that actively help vampires.”

For costume ideas, Adkins says that he is talking some area shops into stocking up on vampire teeth and makeup, and also suggests looking around downtown shops for vintage clothes.

“Junkee is always a great shop to find vintage clothes, while the Melting Pot is sure to have some really interesting alternatives, and the Chocolate Walrus is always great for the sexier look,” says Adkins.

A limited number of VIP packages will be sold for the night of the crawl that will include an exclusive vampire dinner and burlesque show held at 6pm, drink tickets, and a limo ride home. For more information on the crawl, go to www.renobarcrawls.com or look on the Passport events section.

Also, Adkins says that anyone who RSVPs on Facebook will be kept up to date on new bars joining the lineup, what drink s specials will be offered at each bar and any entertainment or contests that are being scheduled for the evening.

Text by Baldo Bobadilla
Photo by Justin Sullivan

32 Cheney St. | Reno

775.323.3482

http://thehubcoffeeco.blogspot.com

Hours: Mon-Fri 6am-7pm, Sat 7am-7pm, Sun 8am-3pm

At the Center of It All

Located in a converted garage on Cheney St. between S. Virginia and Center streets rests The Hub Coffee Co. And like its name – a reference to the center of a bike wheel – implies, it is a coffee shop in the center of it all.

Owned by Mark Trujillo, who also owns Waldens Coffeehouse, The Hub is an entirely separate business that is more raw than its older predecessor. The coffee shop is a tag-team effort between Mark and his son, Joey.

“Our goal is to introduce Reno to great coffee and a more traditional approach coupled with more modern and progressive techniques,” said Joey. “We want to promote consumer consciousness of what great coffee should be.”

The Hub specializes in serving traditional espresso and espresso-based drinks: cappuccino, macchiato, mocha. They also provide American versions of traditional drinks, including lattes (espresso with more milk than in cappuccinos) and Americanos (espresso with water). The Hub also has a good selection of teas, including chai tea and a green tea blended with brown rice.

Though The Hub is into serving traditional drinks, they also like to experiment with different ways of brewing coffee, including using a filter sytem, a French press (the most common), and a vacuum pot.

“We’ve made the connection with our take on coffee,” said Joey. “In no way is it a new take on coffee, but we want to introduce that take to our customers.”

They also have on-hand interesting eats, including maple-bacon and apple-sausage scones, and traditional pastries, including muffins, cookies, and croissants (many supplied by The Dish Café).

The Hub is the perfect place for people who love great coffee and who want to appreciate what’s in front of them. It’s nice to have a barista who takes pride in and can talk – at great length and in amazing detail – about the coffee they serve.

Find and fan The Hub Coffee Co. on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @TheHubReno.

Text by Michelle Montoya

Photos by Arturo Torres

Now introducing the perfect remedy for a Sunday afternoon. Join us every weekend from 2pm-5pm as we educate you and your friends at your own table about the relationship between food and wine, and the magic that happens when you combine them just right! Walk-ins and reservations welcome. $25 per person, Includes a flight of four glasses with food pairings . Must be 21. Live entertainment beginning at 4pm. Contact Valerie Neish at (775) 284-7455 info@wildrivergrille.com for more information. http://www.wildrivergrille.com

This post was submitted by Courtney Barnett.

Most people cringe at the thought of starting a business, especially a restaurant. Rick Lawson, a transplanted Las Vegas bartender, is not most people. He wanted to live the American dream.

Twelve years ago, Lawson opened Knuckleheads Bar and Grille on the corner of 4th and Vine with the expectation of running a nice quiet neighborhood bar. Little did he know how much it would grow over the years.

What started out in 1997 as a small 1000 sq. ft. bar grew by another 1000 sq. ft. a couple years later, and in 2001, another 2000 feet and a kitchen were added. Knuckleheads has built a steady flow of regular patrons over the years and is always gaining new customers as well, probably due in part to its plethora of bar games, like pool (which is always free), darts, shuffleboard, an internet jukebox, and bar-top gaming.

But the place is now known for its food and its daily and weekly specials. How many places offer a free beer or soda with any shot or any meal over $4.00? On Sundays, you can enjoy a $4.00 breakfast special, a cheap Bloody Mary, and free chili (after 1pm). And ladies, if you want to drink for free, show up on Wednesday nights at 8pm.

Their menu features a pleasant mix of sandwiches and burgers, which are served on a soft French roll. Lawson has migrated from the bar to the kitchen and is responsible for a couple of tasty sandwiches, like the Chicken Cordon Blue and the Chicken Teriyaki with Mushrooms and Swiss Cheese.

In addition to food and drinks, a large back room with a huge stage is used for special events, features live entertainment on most weekends, and is also available for private parties. Sports buffs will appreciate the numerous flat screen TVs that show every major game.

So don’t be a knucklehead… get on over to 4th and Vine!

Text and photos by Bob Carnahan

This post was submitted by Courtney Barnett.

Ole Bridge Pub

Ole Bridge Pub
50 Sierra St. | Reno
775.322.8877
http://olebridgepub.com

Finally, downtown Reno seems to be picking up a little steam again. A new pub recently opened its doors in the first floor of the Palladio, located on the corner of Sierra and First streets in downtown Reno. I met with Chris Kahl co-owner of The Ole Bridge Pub, to get the skinny on Reno’s newest drinking establishment.

The inside the pub has a warm feel. The earth-toned walls are decked with HDTV’s and finished wood. The riverside patio is equipped with heaters for the winter months. Kahl and his two business partners made a shuffleboard from scratch to add a gaming element to the pub, which feels like an old world Irish/English pub with an emphasis on finely crafted beers that are rare in most Reno bars.

Outside View

The bar has a wide selection of hard to find 22-ounce bottle beers for the fine beer connoisseurs out there. There are eight beers on tap that rotate as different brews become available. At the time of the interview their draught beers included Guinness, Harp, Blue Bird Bitter, Deschutes Abyss, Speak Easy White Lighting, Magner’s Irish Cider, Speak Easy Prohibition, and Wexford Irish Cream Ale. The pub also offers a full bar with premium and well selections of liquor and a wide variety of organic wines.

Expect bigger and better things from the Ole Bridge Pub as they settle into downtown. Stop on in during the Santa Pub Crawl on December 12 or during the Wine Walk December 19 and make up your own mind about the place. Once the owners get their cabaret license, they will have live performances in the future. Look for the patio facing the Truckee River to go big this spring when the weather warms up. Until then, warm up with a bold stout or porter at the Ole Bridge Pub.

RP Tip: Tell us what you think about the Ole Bridge Pub by leaving a comment on http://renopassport.com. Happy hour is from 5-7pm, Monday through Friday, offering half-price pitchers and bottles of wine. You can visit their website to view the beers on tap www.olebridgepub.com.

Text by Steve White
Photos by Arturo Torres

This post was submitted by Courtney Barnett.

The 5 Star Saloon – a GLBTQ bar – is a friendly, sassy place to enjoy a nice drink with a welcoming crowd. 5 Star Saloon features pool tables, live shows, live DJs, an Internet jukebox, and free wireless Internet service. Smoking is allowed. Best of all, there’s no cover charge, and we’re open 24 hours a day. Free parking at the 1st St. Parking Gallery with validation.

When: Th, 11/26, 6pm

Location hours: Hours are 24/7
Price: FREE

Ages: 21 and up

For more information about this activity, contact
Jay Wilson at
Phone: (775) 329-2878
Web site: http://www.5starsaloon.net

This post was submitted by Courtney Barnett.

“We’ve noticed that people really appreciate the smaller things in life when their wallets are tight,” says Polley. “Opening these three new locations will make it easier for people to find us and to enjoy a great cup of coffee while supporting a local business. We pride ourselves on being a local shop that provides high quality food, drinks and customer service – it is what has kept us popular and thriving for almost 20 years and what keeps us growing today.”

Java Jungle is one of downtown Reno’s oldest independent coffee houses. Java Jungle, along with its sister store Jungle Vino, are long-standing Reno favorites amongst locals with their uniquely artistic atmospheres. From the mosaic-tiled floors to the walls adorned with works by students and professionals, artists and employees, both locations celebrate the culture that the Riverwalk corridor has become recognized for – a vibrant community where the wine is always flowing, the coffee is always brewing and inspiration is lurking in every corner.
Java Jungle provides the ultimate coffee house experience serving superior coffee and espresso drinks, and gourmet sandwiches in a friendly, inviting urban jungle. Java Jungle features weekly poetry, art, and music events and offers everything from corporate catering and intimate wine-tastings to early morning lattes and bagels. Free Wireless Internet (WiFi) is also available. For more information visit www.JavaJungleVino.com

Kicking off the party (for winter sports fans 21 and over) at 9 p.m. is the premiere of “Hot Laps,” which showcases top riders performing spectacular jumps and maneuvers. Included in the film are members of the Mammoth Unbound Team and friends, including Olympian Mason Aguirre. Other standouts include Greg Bretz, Jack Mitrani, Luke Mitrani, Gabe Taylor, Tyler Flanagan, Lonnie Kauk, Trevor Jacob, Matt Hammer, Jared Dawoud, Alex Dawoud, Cody Rosenthal, Shane Pospisil, Eric Jackson, and Peter Benchetler. Mammoth Unbound Team skier Chris Benchetler will also amp up the action as he entertains “Hot Laps” viewers.

After watching the movie, guests will gather for an after party featuring DJ EJ Luera and the band Audioboxx. Some of the athletes featured in “Hot Laps” will be on hand to sign autographs and chat with the crowd. Party goers also will have the chance to win prizes including Mammoth and Grand Sierra Resort merchandise, lodging, lift tickets and trips to Mammoth.

“Hot Laps” will take a step away from the traditional video format by featuring only terrain at or near Mammoth Mountain, including the world-famous Unbound Terrain Parks. Two full-time videographers were brought on by Mammoth to capture video footage of the Unbound Team for an entire season for the movie. The action takes place on Mammoth Mountain’s renowned big mountain in-bounds terrain and its backcountry stretches.

The latest details about the movie including movie snippets and trailers, photos, rider bios and blog entries can be viewed at www.PlayBigProductions.com. For more information on Mammoth Mountain Day at Xtreme Sports Bar and Lounge, visit www.grandsierraresort.com.

Open early in the morning until the customers leave, Kona Gold is an ideal stop to grab breakfast before work and is an even better place to get a couple of drinks after a hard day at the office. You can get a breakfast sandwich for only $2.25!

“We want to make our prices competitive with the fast food joints around here,” said Sintay. This is very significant because at Kona Gold everything is handmade. “We don’t have a microwave here,” added Rogers.

Their lunch menu includes of a variety of panini sandwiches and international cuisine items that will surely fulfill your appetite. During happy hour (4-8pm daily), all domestic beers are $2 and premium beers are $3. They also offer discounted wine and food during these times.

Besides their daily happy hour, they have an event during the same time called “Wine Down Wednesdays” where they take 50% off selected wines and premium wine is only $3. On Sunday mornings, they offer mimosa specials starting at $4. They will soon have coffee tasting events and live entertainment, so the next time you’re in the neighborhood, pay a visit to Kona Gold, for you will surely find something you love.

Text by Baldo Bobadilla

Photo by Arturo Torres

Kona Gold – Coffee, Wine, and Cocktails

3304 S. McCarran Blvd, Reno

775.826.1616

http://KonaBarReno.com

Hours: Mon. – Sat. from 6am – 8pm(ish), Sun. from 7am – 4pm(ish)

This post was submitted by Courtney Barnett.

This post was submitted by Club Cal Neva.

• Date: Friday, October 30th 2009
• Time: 8:00pm
• City: Reno Passportin Reno, NV
• Venue: Starts at Amendment 21
• Country: US
• Age restrictions: No minors
• Box office: Twitter @barcrawls
• Notes: Starts at 8pm at a21.

Do you feel like the Reno scene isn’t dead enough? Are you missing the smell of flesh and the sound of Thriller? Well, you’re in luck because the second annual Reno Zombie Crawl will be hitting downtown Reno this year on Friday, October 30^th, just before Halloween!

Last year was a great beginning, but I had no idea what I was doing. I just figured that since Halloween was on a Friday and that I’m a huge fan of zombies and drinking, why not stage a crawl to harmoniously honor the two? From there, the dream was born, and it ended with hundreds of zombies converging on the city, swarming bars in search of brains and beer.

This year, the bar crawl is again free for participants and will feature $2 drink specials at each location. There will also be three prizes given away for the sexiest, grossest, and funniest costumes. In order to participate, crawlers need to be in zombie costume at Amendment 21 at 8pm to grab a bracelet and participate in the costume contests.

Once prizes have been awarded, the mob will head out to various spots, including Se7en at Arlington, the Waterfall, and even a special stop to once again do Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” Dance.

Last year’s crawl was a raging success with tons of great costumes and a fun crowd. Don’t miss out! For more information on the event and to see photos from last year’s Zombie Crawl, go to www.renozombiecrawl.com.

Details:

When: Friday, October 30th starting at 8pm

Location: Starts at the Amendment 21 and heads downtown

$3 Well drinks
$2 Pabst drafts

Free Pool, Free Darts, Free Wi-Fi, and
BRAND NEW “Retro” Video Arcade!

310 S. Arlington
348-9911

This post was submitted by Jeremy.

CANFEST- Reno International Canned Beer Festival – PreSale Tickets Available

As Reno gears up to host the first ever international canned beer competition, appropriately named CANFEST, the competition is unfolding into an event complete with enticing festivities for attendees, more than 25 breweries from all around the globe, and great ticket/room packages.  

The competition will take place in the Grand Sierra Theater October 23, from 6:30 p.m. -10:30 p.m. Tickets are now available through the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino’s website for $35 per person. Special room rates for attendees are available at $35 per night. Proceeds from the event will benefit The Nature Conservancy and The Great Basin Bird Observatory.  Please visit the Grand Sierra’s website at www.grandsierraresort.com or call 1-800-648-3568 to book rooms and tickets using the promotion code CANFEST.

Among the festivities lined up for CANFEST, Paul Gatza, Director of the Brewers Association, will be speaking on the history of American beer, craft beer, and the trend of canned beer. Ginger Johnson, founder of WomenEnjoyingBeer.com, will give a presentation on the reasons patrons enjoy canned beer, why women love beer, and the relationship between beer and the arts. A question and answer forum of canned brewery owners and brewers specifically intended to answer the public’s questions regarding beer and canned beer is another great addition to the competition.

A display of mobiles built by local artists entirely from recycled beer cans, a promotion that directly benefits Sierra Arts, a local non-profit that helps establish and spread arts programs in the Truckee Meadows.

Each brewery has been asked which cheese, chocolates and ice creams pair best with their individual beers. Many stations will feature exclusive pairings with these foods for the public to sample.

The following breweries have confirmed their attendance:

Click here to link to the event on Reno Passport